Black Block
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About this Brooklyn Icon
The Brooklyn Museum is commemorating its 200th anniversary by spotlighting 200 standout objects in its encyclopedic collection.
“I look for things that are immediately available . . . I transform the media; I give them a new lease on life.” When you examine Ghanaian artist El Anatsui’s awe-inspiring sculpture Black Block, remember that the artist made it with humble materials: aluminum from discarded bottle caps and wire. Anatsui has become internationally recognized for his ability to take discarded materials and manipulate them into breathtaking artworks. They have no specific orientation—the artist adheres to the notion of “non-fixed form”—meaning that each work is dynamic and ever-evolving.
Anatsui’s sculptures are traditionally oversize, sometimes large enough to cover buildings. Hung like a wall tapestry, this smaller example nonetheless shows the undulating qualities of flattened, twisted metal. True to its title, Black Block is primarily black with flashes of red and yellow. It explores the monumentality and meditativeness of a single color while introducing subtle variations, activating the otherwise uniform surface with small surprises.
Object Label
Close inspection of El Anatsui’s glistening and cascading work reveals an elaborate surface constructed from liquor bottle tops joined together by copper wire. Anatsui incorporates these discarded aluminum caps, sourced from a liquor distillery in Nigeria, into the global history of abstraction. The monumental and unfixed form references both individual and collective bodies—from the lips that might grace the alcohol bottle to the hands of now-hundreds of studio assistants who work together to manipulate and weave the metal caps.
Caption
El Anatsui Ghanaian, born 1944. Black Block, 2010. Aluminum and copper wire, two pieces, each: 207 x 133 1/2 in., 67 lb. (525.8 x 339.1 cm, 30.39kg). Brooklyn Museum, Bequest of William K. Jacobs, Jr., by exchange, 2013.7a-b. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, DIG_E_2013_Anatsui_Gravity_and_Grace_032_PS4_2013.7a-b.jpg)
Tags
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Artist
Title
Black Block
Date
2010
Medium
Aluminum and copper wire
Classification
Dimensions
two pieces, each: 207 x 133 1/2 in., 67 lb. (525.8 x 339.1 cm, 30.39kg)
Credit Line
Bequest of William K. Jacobs, Jr., by exchange
Accession Number
2013.7a-b
Rights
© artist or artist's estate
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Frequent Art Questions
Yeah, I can see that. I was a little confused by the El Anatsui in terms of how to understand it.
El Anatsui's work is pretty complex. It’s not recycling that interests him. It’s the idea that an item was touched by another human being, he says, "because then it comes with not only energy, but history and it has a story." He collects bottle caps that were discarded by people to make the wall sculptures. He has 30 assistants that help in making it.He believes there is a human residue left on every day items. He cites the work of spiritual healers in Africa: "Say somebody wants to have the love of another person. The healer you are consulting might ask you to bring something that a fellow has used and with that he’ll be able to make a connection," so things that humans have used have a spiritual energy in them.What is this?
El Anatsui's practice is centered around items that have been thrown away. It’s not recycling that interests him, it’s the idea that an item was touched by another human being.Here he used discarded screw-top caps from thousands of bottles. He flattens and stretches the caps. Sometimes he uses the ring left on the bottle after the cap is twisted off. He wire stitches thousands of the mutated caps together into massive wall tapestries.Does the work always look like this?
One of the many interesting things about El Anatsui's work is that he doesn't dictate how any of his works should be displayed. He allows the curators and art handlers to make choices about where the work should be folded, tucked and laid flat. The artist has said "The whole idea is that I want to involve whoever is dealing with the artwork to also bring in a bit of him- or herself, to incorporate the way he or she is feeling."What is this?
That's a large installation by Ghanaian Artist El Anatsui. Made up of flattened caps from thousands of bottles. El Anatsui hires and trains local craftsman to assist him with flattening and stitching the caps together. One of the many interesting things about El Anatsui's work is that he doesn't dictate how any of his works should be displayed. He allows the curators and art handlers to make choices about where the work should be folded, tucked and laid flat.The exhibition it is placed in, "I See Myself in You," is all about understanding the body and portraiture as you may have read in the introductory text. Any ideas why this work might be considered bodily? Or dealing with portraits?It seems rather organic, like a skeleton.I can totally see that. I think about where he found that many discarded liquor bottle tops and what type of person would drink and then discard a bottle outside.Okay, that makes sense.How long did this take to make?
While we don't know the exact number of man-hours put into this amazing El Anatsui work, I can tell you he hires and trains local craftsmen to assist with his projects. The work is made of aluminum and copper wire on which discarded bottle caps are then strung. I imagine it would take many people and many hours to create a finished project.
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